The Future Is Now: South Carolina’s New Talent Paves the Way for More Success on the Court

Cleveland — For no other reason than her age, MiLaysia Fulwiley of South Carolina was the first player to snipe the Gamecocks’ championship net. The 5-foot-10 guard kicked off the festivities as the newest member of South Carolina’s roster. She likened having to sit in the backseat of a car to initiating a net-cutting ceremony.

The South Carolina Gamecocks had a rough beginning to the highly anticipated 2024 national championship matchup between Iowa and South Carolina. With 4:45 remaining in the first quarter, the Hawkeyes led 20-9 after sprinting out to a 12-2 lead. Coach Dawn Staley made the decision to rearrange the seats at that point. Fulwiley got into the game right away, setting up reserve forward Sania Feagin for a layup. When she is locked in and attentive, assistant coach Winston Gandy said, “you can tell early.” After just one offensive and defensive play, Gandy concluded that Lay was going to have a strong game.

The Gamecocks were able to rally after Fulwiley scored seven points in the opening quarter, cutting their deficit to seven points. Another freshman, Tessa Johnson, a guard, also contributed significantly. Johnson ended with a team-high 19 points on 7 of 11 shooting in South Carolina’s 87-75 victory over Iowa. She only led the Gamecocks in scoring three times this season. According to Gandy, “I felt they were chewing at the bit to get in and were not terrified of the occasion.”

 

The triumph for South Carolina completed an ideal season. The Gamecocks (38-0) are just the tenth squad in history to win every game from start to finish. This year’s crew started their intense summer workouts, and they eventually arrived at their target.

But Sunday’s victory might also be a harbinger of what’s to come for the program. “They’re coming back to get another one and another one and another one,” said Fulwiley’s mother, Phea Mixon. After their showing on Sunday, who is to doubt them?

When the 2024 Gamecocks originally assembled, it would have been difficult to picture the two freshmen igniting South Carolina’s title game rally. According to assistant coach Khadijah Sessions, “They were both out of shape.” The adjustment to college life was a convoluted affair. During the second week of summer classes at Fulwiley, she was running late for a team breakfast one morning. She believed that it would be in vain. However, she discovered that being late for college was not the same as being late for high school. She was informed by Staley that she would miss a practice.

During summer practices, Fulwiley and Johnson both had defensive issues. And to be offensive?“We made a lot of high school passes, a lot of mistakes,” Fulwiley said.

Said Johnson: “I get down on myself a lot because I expect a lot out of myself. But I’ve learned that it’s OK to fail.”

MiLaysia Fulwiley has a fantastic court vision. The pass that sets up this Tessa Johnson three has become my obsession. vvOxWWbYQb pic.twitter.com

— Ella Brockway (@ellabrockway) April 7, 2024

Mistakes were made, shots were missed, and defensive responsibilities were botched. Sessions made jokes with them over the summer suggesting that they might end up on the practice squad.

Both had inconsistent action in early-season contests, occasionally taking on major responsibilities on the nation’s deepest roster. (South Carolina’s bench outscored Iowa 37-0 and averaged almost 34 points per game.) They hardly ever glimpsed the floor at other times.

Nevertheless, Sessions had observed enough to have faith in the potential of the young team. She told her mother over the phone when official practices began that Johnson would be the reason South Carolina won the national championship. Her prediction came to pass.

In South Carolina, perseverance and faith are essential for success.

“I think MiLaysia Fulwiley has been very patient with us to be able to have a household name coming off the bench, playing maybe, probably less than 20 minutes a game,” Staley said, “where she could have gone anywhere else in the country and they’d have given her the ball time and time again. But winning a national championship will allow us and that relationship to continue to grow because I know she really wanted this. And I would imagine that, come as early as next year, she’s going to want to be a starter, she’s going to want to play more minutes, she’s going to want a lot of different things because she got the big one. So now she’ll maybe want to concentrate on some individual awards. And I appreciate her sacrifice.”

Players of South Carolina’s caliber frequently split minutes in this manner. Laeticia Amihere, a former Gamecocks center, congratulated the players in the locker room following the win. Despite being a five-star recruit, she only managed to start four games during her career. “Every single one of these players are starters on any Division I team,” Amihere said. “Just to see them shine when their name is called is special.”

Amihere was a member of the legendary South Carolina “Freshies” class, a quintet of athletes who combined for a four-year record of 129-9 in Columbia. Four of them were chosen in the WNBA Draft from the previous year, with Amihere going at No. 8 and standout center Aliyah Boston drafted first overall.

South Carolina fell to Iowa even though they were unbeaten going into the 2023 Final Four. A number of players stated that they wanted to win a championship for the core that was not won last season and to get revenge for their loss on Sunday.

The Freshies group text was active throughout morning, into the afternoon, and during Sunday’s game. And afterwards there was celebration. The performances of Te-Hina Paopao (14 points on 4-of-7 shooting), Chloe Kitts (11 points and 10 rebounds), Raven Johnson (5 rebounds and 4 steals), Kamilla Cardoso (15 points and 17 rebounds), and Fulwiley (who finished with 9 points and a team-high 4 assists) delighted them. Te-Hina Paopao’s defense on Iowa’s Cailtin Clark was also excellent.

“I think they’re writing their own story and I’m excited to see it,” Amihere said.

Any book about Sunday would be worth reading to the part where Fulwiley saw her teammates battling to get the game started. “That was not South Carolina in the first few minutes,” she remarked. “We showed it once we got in there. I feel like they just needed someone like me or Tessa to be a spark off the bench.”

At the break, the Gamecocks had a three-point lead. In the third quarter, Fulwiley spotted Johnson free on the left wing while in transition. With Johnson’s sink, South Carolina’s advantage grew to 11, the highest of the quarter.

As soon as Iowa coach Lisa Bluder blew the whistle, Raven Johnson gave Fulwiley a hug close to halfcourt. Raven Johnson declared, “I am going to give Tessa Johnson her flowers.” “When a freshman is discussed, it is always about her actions. She is prepared for everything at all times. She never hesitates to answer her phone. Each picture she posts, it gets through. precisely as Tessa does.

This afternoon, Tessa Johnson and Milaysia Fulwiley are not acting like rookies.

— Brianna Turner (@_Breezy_Briii) April 7, 2024

Unsurprisingly, there were still instances on Sunday where their inexperience was evident. At 7:33 in the fourth quarter, with the Gamecocks up 14 points, Fulwiley fouled Sydney Affolter of Iowa when she was trying a short 2-point jump shot. Exasperated, Staley turned to face her coaching staff and yelled, “Lay.” However, it was also a period of growth. For a quick motivational speech, Fulwiley dashed to the sidelines, and Staley seemed to encourage her.

Fulwiley’s season began against Notre Dame with an incredible scoop layup that electrified the spectators who were fortunate enough to see the basket in person. She stood up multiple times in the final moments of her season, looked to the Gamecocks supporters behind her, and yelled for them to applaud. Gamecocks assistants said she has always had a lot of energy and a strong desire for her teammates to have the same level of enthusiasm.

Fulwiley and Johnson had a moment together following the final buzzer and the colorful confetti that rained down the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse court, before Johnson started her own climb up the triumph ladder.

“We went through it all together,” Johnson said.

Added Fulwiley: “People (go through) their whole college career without getting a national championship. To get one in my first year, it means a lot.”

She hopes it won’t be her last.

(Photos of MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson: Steph Chambers / Getty Images,  C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)